Common carriers, such as passenger airlines, bus lines, train lines, and passenger vehicles frequently convey substantial numbers of passengers simultaneously. In many instances, the number of seats within a given space may limit the amount space available for each passenger to such a degree that passengers have very little personal space. For example, a passenger's personal space between the passenger's knees and the passenger seat located forward of that passenger may be diminished by a reclining seat back of the next-forward passenger seat. Also, in many designs, a passenger's use of a tray table is impacted by movement of the next-forward passenger seat.
It is also frequently the case that at least some passenger seats are not occupied during a trip. However, due to the compact arrangement of passenger seats in most common carriers, the passengers seated in the remaining passenger seats acquire minimal additional personal space from these unoccupied passenger seats.
Thus, it may be desirable to provide a passenger seat assembly that provides a passenger with additional personal space, as well as providing the passenger with a sensation of privacy, which may enhance the impression of the amount of personal space available. It may also be desirable to provide for a way to minimize the space consumed by unoccupied passenger seats, as well as providing for an easier pathway to enter and exit compact arrangements of passenger seats.